CCI seeks airfare data to probe into cartelisation

NEW DELHI: Anti-trust watchdog Competition Commission of India (CCI) has sought data from the civil aviation ministry to probe whether airlines have formed cartel to increase fares.

"Taking note of civil aviation minister Praful Patel's recent statements we have written to his ministry seeking information. After that we will decide whether an investigation could be done or not," said a senior official from the CCI.

The aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said that some information was already furnished to the commission. "They (CCI) have given us two weeks to furnish the data about airfares. We have already given it to them for some routes. More data will be given to them soon," said DGCA chief Bharat Bhushan.

He also said that report of the working group constituted in the ministry to look into consumer interests will be shared with the commission. The working group will submit the report on December 30.

"There is no point in keeping so much data without analysing it," Bhushan said adding that his office was making arrangements to see to it that the data get analysed as well. After airfares on certain domestic routes shot up by 200% in November, the civil aviation minister had said that the situation smelt of cartelisation and that the issue of sudden hike in fares could be referred to the CCI as well.

The DGCA had issued directions on November 19 to airlines to furnish a copy of established route-wise tariff across their networks in various fare categories in the manner offered in the market. The regulator also asked them to report any significant and noticeable change in the established tariff within 24 hours of effecting the change and maintain all records pertaining to established tariff.

Airlines, then, posted airfare ranges on their websites. In a formal press briefing on the issue, Patel emphasised that the ministry was not trying to cap or determine fares but trying to make them transparent so that the passengers were not at the mercy of airlines at the last moment.